Aet oe wbitiwg by a constbuctiobt of foitntaih-pen adapted to writing get



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

VILLIAM DAVISON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ART OF WRITING BY A CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNTAIN-PEN ADAPTED TO WRITING ON A GUIDE FORMED 0F GROUND GLASS, 85C.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,287, dated October 9, 1841.

To all ywhom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, YVILLIAM Davisox, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and improved Method of Teaching the Art of lllriting and in the implements Used Ther-ein, which are described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a view of the guide or copy holder' as opened to receive the copies. Fig. 2 is a view of the guide when closed and ready for use. Fig. 3 is a view of the sponge holder and inkstand. Fig. a is a section of ditto. Fig. 5 is a view of the guide drier. Fig. G is a section of ditto. Fig. 7 represents a common goose quill pen with a metallic fountain attached to it. Fig. S the metallic fountain detached from said pen. Fig. 9 represents a metallic fountain and pen combined. Fig. l() represents the fountain detached from the pen. Fig. 1l represents the pen and fountain attached to a. pen holder by a hinged concave plate and ring. Fig. 12 represents the ring hinged plate, pen and fountain, detached the one from the other. Fig. 13 vertical longitudinal section of the pen represented in Figs. 9 & 10.

Similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

The nature of my improvement consists in writing upon the surface of ground glass with a pen of peculiar construction prepared with fine chalk so as to render smooth the surface, prevent the spreading of the ink and give perfect legibility to the writing, arranged and secured in a peculiarly constructed hinged metallic frame which folds upon a metallic back or plate B in the manner of the covers of a book between which frame C and back B are placed a series of systematic exercises or copies under said glass D the pen with which the ink is laid upon the glass being of a new and peculiar construction making the finest hair as well as the boldest line and having attached to it a fountain of ink which fountain being in the form of a funnel, and when filled, which is effected at every dip of the pen answers for a page of writing, said pen being so constructed as to prevent a too rapid flow and consequent spreading of the ink. Also having a guide drier so constructed that in using' it the hand is protected from rubbing on the glass and so that it can be taken out at pleasure to be washed, &c. Likewise in having an inkstand made in such a manner as to hold ink, sponge, and water in a very convenient manner. The said sponge holder being made of metal in such a manner as to hold the sponge by compression and fitting into said inkstand.

The gm'le or @079g zolcler A, Figs. l and Q.-The material of which the guide or copy holder A is made, and the manner of making it are such as to admit all the copies or sheets of exercises between the glass D and the back B of the copy holder and yet be no thicker than an ordinary copy book. The back B is made of thin sheet brass or any suitable material of a rectangular form, to which is hinged a lightl brass frame C for holding the glass D and the copies placed between said glass and the aforesaid plate or back B to which it is clasped after the copies are inserted. The glass D upon which the exercises are written is about onefourteenth of an inch thick of the size of the frame C in which it is fitted and ground down in the finest manner with fine silica. The thickness is specified because if too thick too much refraction is produced, and if too thin it is liable to break and bring the guiding surface too near the copy so as to make it an operation like tracing letters upon paper which is not the intention of the inventor. The glass D is set in the frame C before mentioned with copal varnish or white lead so as to render the joints tight and altogether impervious to the passage of water from the surface of the glass, through said joints, to the copies beneath it. Before writing upon the glass the surface is prepared by first being dampened and then slightly rubbed with fine chalk; while yet damp the drier is applied to the surface and rubbed until perfectly dry. It is then in a fine state to be written on.

The sponge wlfler, Fig. L -This is made of thin metal in the form of a hollow sphere E with a segment cut off forming an opening to the interior through which the sponge S is inserted and having a handle G projecting from its opposite side by which it is managed. The edges around the opening are turned inward so as to hold the sponge when pressed into it.

The guide hier H, Fig. 5.-This is made of tin, resembling a cylindrical case, with curved wings7 bent in a cylindrical manner, to receive a roller, around which folds of cloth are wound, and then bent outward from the cylinder on either side to form guards for the fingers of the hand to rest in as represented in Fig. G which is an end view7 so that in forcing the roller and clot-h into said cylindrical case the guards or curved wings will be forced outward from each other and leave a space sufficient for the roller and cloth to pass through7 which roller and cloth having passed through the said wings will close or approach each other and assume their former position-the said drier can thus be taken out at pleasure from the case `to be washed, or for the linsertion of another cloth by simply ext-ending the curved wings or guards of the cylinder as before described.

The incstoml, Fig. 3.This is made of three partsthat which is lettered K contains ink, L contains water, and M the sponge holder. L is a movable cup for water to wash the pen and damp'the sponge.

The fountain, pens, Figs. 7, 8, 9, lO, 1l, l2.-The fountain pen used upon the guide or upon paper represented by Figs. 7 and 8 is made in the following manner. From a funnel shaped fountain F extends a segment plate P which is folded over on the back on either side so as to form a sheath or socket into which the pen is inserted which is pushed down unt-il the nib comes below the lower end of the fountain and until the latter comes against the split of the penthe aperture at the lower or smaller end of the fountain at which the ink discharges being ofan oval shape next the split of t-he pen. This fountain and plate can be taken off and attached to another pen at pleasure, always placing it in the concave part of the nib. The ink flows in the act of writing by which it is regulated in its descent, causing it to fiow faster or slower according to the movement of the nib. After the fountain F is filled it must be moved or thrown suddenly back into ink stand twoor three times before writing, which exhausts and sends the ink into the lower end of the funnel and in contact with the nib. The movement of the nib of the pen causes a constant flow of ink from the fountain. In making heavy lines the nib is pressed on more heavily by the writer and of course extends the nib from the fountain which cuts off the direct iow of ink and causes it to ascend by capillary attract-ion, between the outside of the fountain and the inside of the nib ofthe pen and then descends through the split upon the surface of the 1 it is to be applied is brazed upon the back of the fountain F extending above its top about a third of an inch and below it about the 20th of an inch for conducting the ink more reffectually to the nib. Parallel with the iaforesaid plate P2 and to the edges of the same is brazed another concave plate P2 at suoli distance therefrom as to have a space between the two plates forming a sheath for the insertion of the pen whose nib extends below the lower end of the first mentioned or inner curved plate P2. The sheath for the pens attached to the fountain may be formed by folding a thin sheet of metal and bring- `ing their ends together and then molding them to a form to correspond with the shape of the pen which is inserted into the space between the folds of said platewthe fountain being fastened in the concavity of the inner folds so as to bring its upper end about l of an inch below the upper end of the sheath Iand its lower end about l/QO of an inch vabove the lower end of the sheath. The

outer curved piece P3 of the sheath is raised or extended at the lower end from the inner one P2 to allow space sufficient for the movement of the nib s of the pen which is placed between said segments of metal. The fountain F2 is filled at a single dip as before described. The ink descends to the point of the nib for fine lines. In bearing more heavily upon the pen the nib is sprung from the inner plate P2 which causes the ink to ascend between the convex surface of the inner plate and the concavity of the nilo, to the top of the slit of the nib, down which it descends to the surface of the glass upon which the writing is performed and makes the heavy lines with but a slight flow of ink. The outer plate or segment against which the nib is pressed prevents the pen from springing too far outward. In the nib returning to the fountain the ink again flows to it. Y

Fountain pen for the glass guide. See Figs. l1 and 12.-Between a metallic clasp Q hinged to the handle R by the pin p and said handle R the pen P3 and fountain F3 are inserted. By closing the said hinged clasp Q and slipping a ring r over the end of the hinged clasp t-he pen and fountain will be held securely in their places. By moving 'the pen and fountain upward or downward between said hinged clasp and handle the elasticity of the pen is so acted on by the hinged clasp as to make it stiff or limber to suit the Writer.

That I claim as my invention and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combined employment of a guide as aforesaid with a fountain pen of the construction as described.

2. I do not claim as my invention the attaching of a reservoir to metallic pens for affording a supply of ink as reservoirs have been applied to the backs of metallic pens; but what I claim as my invention is combining the reservoir with the concave side of the pen by attaching a separate sheath to the back of the reservoir or fountain into which the pen is inserted, substantially as set forth by means of which arrangement the escape of the ink is prevented on the downward stroke of the pen as by the pressure upon it the surface of the pen is removed from the fountain or reservoir, while in the old arrangement the pressure had the effect of opening the nib and by bringing it nearer the reservoir increasing the flow of ink.

3. I also claim the employment of chalk on the surface of the ground glass as described for the purpose of producing a whiteness on the surface, rendering the writing upon the surface more apparent and preventing the ink from spreading and rendering the surface more like pape-r.

ll. I likewise claim the method of employing sponge in a condensed form by combining it in the manner described with a holder constructed as set forth.

5. I also claim the combination of the case H-roller I and wiper J as described.

IVILLIAM DAVISON.

IVitnesses lWM. P. ELLIOT, OLIVER DANsoN. 

